Why are America's farmers killing themselves in record numbers?

[It Aint Necessarily So]

From the link below:

We were growing food, but couldn’t afford to buy it. We worked 80 hours a week, but we couldn’t afford to see a dentist, let alone a therapist. I remember panic when a late freeze threatened our crop, the constant fights about money, the way light swept across the walls on the days I could not force myself to get out of bed.

“Farming has always been a stressful occupation because many of the factors that affect agricultural production are largely beyond the control of the producers,” wrote Rosmann in the journal Behavioral Healthcare. “The emotional wellbeing of family farmers and ranchers is intimately intertwined with these changes.”

Last year, a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that people working in agriculture – including farmers, farm laborers, ranchers, fishers, and lumber harvesters – take their lives at a rate higher than any other occupation. The data suggested that the suicide rate for agricultural workers in 17 states was nearly five times higher compared with that in the general population.

After the study was released, Newsweek reported that the suicide death rate for farmers was more than double that of military veterans. This, however, could be an underestimate, as the data collected skipped several major agricultural states, including Iowa. Rosmann and other experts add that the farmer suicide rate might be higher, because an unknown number of farmers disguise their suicides as farm accidents.

The US farmer suicide crisis echoes a much larger farmer suicide crisis happening globally: an Australian farmer dies by suicide every four days; in the UK, one farmer a week takes his or her own life; in France, one farmer dies by suicide every two days; in India, more than 270,000 farmers have died by suicide since 1995.

Why are America's farmers killing themselves in record numbers?
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...-farmers-killing-themselves-in-record-numbers
Anybody know anything about this first-hand? It's news to me.

 

[metis]

The small farmer just cannot compete.

 

[Revoltingest]

The small farmer just cannot compete.

I know some who do.
But there's a problem with the culture of farmers.
It's illustrated by an old joke.....
What does a farmer do when he wins a million dollars in the lottery?

Spoiler: The answer

He keeps farming until it runs out.

Some farmers are bad at the business of farming, but it's what they're called to.
Many grew up on farms, & like the life. But that doesn't guarantee success.
Like other small businesses, many people fail.

Bigger farms have some economy of scale, but the primary reason
they're big is that they're really successful at their business.

 

[Kemosloby]

Stringbean knows why.

 

[Vee]

From the link below:

We were growing food, but couldn’t afford to buy it. We worked 80 hours a week, but we couldn’t afford to see a dentist, let alone a therapist. I remember panic when a late freeze threatened our crop, the constant fights about money, the way light swept across the walls on the days I could not force myself to get out of bed.

“Farming has always been a stressful occupation because many of the factors that affect agricultural production are largely beyond the control of the producers,” wrote Rosmann in the journal Behavioral Healthcare. “The emotional wellbeing of family farmers and ranchers is intimately intertwined with these changes.”

Last year, a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that people working in agriculture – including farmers, farm laborers, ranchers, fishers, and lumber harvesters – take their lives at a rate higher than any other occupation. The data suggested that the suicide rate for agricultural workers in 17 states was nearly five times higher compared with that in the general population.

After the study was released, Newsweek reported that the suicide death rate for farmers was more than double that of military veterans. This, however, could be an underestimate, as the data collected skipped several major agricultural states, including Iowa. Rosmann and other experts add that the farmer suicide rate might be higher, because an unknown number of farmers disguise their suicides as farm accidents.

The US farmer suicide crisis echoes a much larger farmer suicide crisis happening globally: an Australian farmer dies by suicide every four days; in the UK, one farmer a week takes his or her own life; in France, one farmer dies by suicide every two days; in India, more than 270,000 farmers have died by suicide since 1995.

Why are America's farmers killing themselves in record numbers?
Anybody know anything about this first-hand? It's news to me.

Monsanto should be able to give you all the information you are looking for.

 

[sun rise]

This is clearly a world-wide phenomenon. I wonder if there's a common factor between India, Australia and the USA or if there's more than one cause. I don't know.

 

[Revoltingest]

This is clearly a world-wide phenomenon. I wonder if there's a common factor between India, Australia and the USA or if there's more than one cause. I don't know.

Drought?

It reminds me of the 4 problems Soviet agriculture faced.....

Spoiler: Answer

Spring, summer, fall, & winter

 

[Nous]

Last year, a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that people working in agriculture – including farmers, farm laborers, ranchers, fishers, and lumber harvesters – take their lives at a rate higher than any other occupation.

That is a tremendously diverse classification of people, circumstances and sources of income. That undoubtedly precludes making any valid generalizations about factors in suicide.

However, one issue might be that a large percentage of people who work in such jobs as listed are males, who have a significantly higher suicide rate than women and than the population average.

Of course, for actual farmers (farm-owners or sharecroppers), weather, including its unpredictableness, is very stressful. One freeze or hail storm at the wrong time can wipe out a family's annual income.

Another factor might be the isolation or solitariness of the occupation.

 

[metis]

Of course, for actual farmers (farm-owners or sharecroppers), weather, including its unpredictableness, is very stressful. One freeze or hail storm at the wrong time can wipe out a family's annual income.

Yep, and this where the corporate-farms have the advantage since they're not all in one location, plus they usually are also invested in some non-farming enterprises as well.

 

[Nous]

Monsanto should be able to give you all the information you are looking for.

Why would Monsanto have any information on causes of suicide of people in the listed occupations?

 

[Nous]

Yep, and this where the corporate-farms have the advantage since they're not all in one location, plus they usually are also invested in some non-farming enterprises as well.

And can also afford insurance just for that contingency.